tulathromycin and Weight-Gain

To determine the effects of administration of 1 dose of tulathromycin on the incidence of various diseases and growth, identify risk factors for slow growth, and determine the association of Mycoplasma bovis status with the incidence of otitis media in calves.. Randomized controlled trial and cross-sectional study.. 788 dairy heifer calves (median age, 3 days).. Calves received tulathromycin or a saline (0.9% NaCl) solution control treatment once. Calves were observed daily for 8 weeks by farm staff to detect diseases. Nasal swab specimens were collected from some calves for Mycoplasma spp culture.. Tulathromycin-treated calves had significantly lower odds of developing otitis media (OR, 0.41; 95% confidence interval, 0.58 to 0.82) versus control calves. Control calves had significantly higher odds of developing diarrhea (OR, 1.8; 95% confidence interval, 1.2 to 2.6) versus tulathromycin-treated calves. Control calves and those with failure of passive transfer, fever, lameness, respiratory tract disease, or diarrhea had significantly lower average daily gain versus other calves. Seventeen of the 66 (26%) calves that underwent repeated testing had positive Mycoplasma spp culture results, but positive results were not associated with otitis media. One of 42 calves with otitis media tested for Mycoplasma spp had positive results, and 1 of 43 age-matched calves without otitis media had positive results.. Tulathromycin-treated calves in this study had a lower incidence of diarrhea and otitis media versus control calves. Various diseases had negative effects on average daily gain. Mycoplasma bovis status was not associated with otitis media in calves.

Topics: Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Cattle; Diarrhea; Disaccharides; Female; Heterocyclic Compounds; Mycoplasma bovis; Odds Ratio; Otitis Media; Risk Factors; Tuberculosis, Bovine; Weight Gain

Health and feed performance parameters of 293 beef stocker calves at risk for bovine respiratory disease were compared after metaphylactic administration of one of two antimicrobials (tulathromycin or tilmicosin) with different durations of activity; the antimicrobial was administered 1 day after arrival. Calves that received metaphylactic tulathromycin displayed significant improvement in morbidity, mortality, and first-treatment success rates (P<.05) compared with tilmicosin-treated calves. Tulathromycin-treated calves also showed a significantly improved average daily gain and feed:gain ratio (P<.05) compared with tilmicosin-treated calves. Under conditions of this study, calves receiving tulathromycin were healthier through a 43-day growing phase compared with calves receiving tilmicosin. This health difference likely accounted for the differences in feed performance between the treatment groups.

Topics: Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Cattle; Disaccharides; Eating; Health Status; Heterocyclic Compounds; Male; Treatment Outcome; Tylosin; Weight Gain

A field trial was performed under commercial feedlot conditions in central Nebraska to assess the relative efficacy of tulathromycin (TULA) to florfenicol (FLOR) for the treatment of undifferentiated fever (UF) in feedlot calves that did not receive a metaphylactic antimicrobial or vaccines/bacterins containing Mannheimia haemolytica or Histophilus somni at feedlot arrival by comparing animal health, feedlot performance, and carcass characteristic variables. Two hundred recently weaned, auction market derived, crossbred beef calves that met the study-specific case definition of UF were randomly allocated in a 1:1 ratio to 1 of 2 experimental groups as follows: TULA, which received tulathromycin administered subcutaneously at the rate of 2.5 mg/kg body weight (BW) once at the time of allocation; or FLOR, which received florfenicol administered subcutaneously at the rate of 40 mg/kg BW once at the time of allocation. In terms of animal health, the first UF relapse (RR = 0.65), overall mortality (RR = 0.33), and BRD mortality (RR = 0.29) rates in the TULA group were significantly (P < 0.05) lower than in the FLOR group. There were no significant (P > or = 0.05) differences between the TULA and FLOR groups for the other animal health variables measured. There was no significant (P > or = 0.05) difference in average daily gain between the TULA and FLOR groups. There were no significant (P > or = 0.05) differences in the overall distributions of quality grade and yield grade between the experimental groups; however, a significantly (P < 0.05) higher proportion of carcasses in the TULA group graded yield grade USDA-4 as compared with the FLOR group. In the economic analysis, the benefits observed resulted in an economic advantage of $52.50 USD/animal in the TULA group due to lower first UF relapse and overall mortality rates, even though the occurrence of yield grade USDA-4 carcasses increased and the initial UF treatment cost was higher.

Topics: Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Cattle; Disaccharides; Heterocyclic Compounds; Injections, Subcutaneous; Nebraska; Pasteurellosis, Pneumonic; Recurrence; Thiamphenicol; Treatment Outcome; Weight Gain

After undergoing arrival processing at one of two commercial feedlots, feeder calves with clinical signs of bovine respiratory disease (BRD) were randomly assigned to receive either tulathromycin (2.4 mg/kg SC) or enrofloxacin (12.5 mg/kg SC). Additional therapy for calves that did not respond to initial treatment followed a prescribed course. Initial treatment with tulathromycin resulted in significantly higher (P = .009 and P = .031 at sites 1 and 2, respectively) therapeutic success (87.9% and 80%, respectively) than did initial treatment with enrofloxacin (70.2% and 62.5%, respectively). Animals treated with tulathromycin also had fewer subsequent treatments and higher weight gains compared with those treated with enrofloxacin.

Topics: Animals; Animals, Newborn; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Bovine Respiratory Disease Complex; Cattle; Colorado; Disaccharides; Enrofloxacin; Fluoroquinolones; Heterocyclic Compounds; Injections, Subcutaneous; Recurrence; Texas; Treatment Outcome; Weight Gain

The therapeutic efficacy and field safety of tulathromycin were evaluated in stocker calves with undifferentiated bovine respiratory disease (BRD) in three field studies conducted over two consecutive grazing seasons in Nebraska. Eight hundred calves exhibiting clinical signs of BRD and with rectal temperatures of 104 degrees F or higher were treated with tulathromycin (n = 340), florfenicol (n = 240), or tilmicosin (n = 220) and evaluated for approximately 60 days. Florfenicol and tilmicosin were administered as single SC injections according to labeled dosage. Tulathromycin was administered as a single SC injection of 2.5 mg/kg. In all three studies, the cure rate of calves 60 days after treatment with tulathromycin was significantly higher (P < or = .05) than that of calves treated with florfenicol or tilmicosin. Suspected adverse reactions were not reported for any of the study drugs. Tulathromycin proved to be significantly more effective than either florfenicol or tilmicosin in the treatment of BRD in stocker calves.

Topics: Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Cattle; Disaccharides; Heterocyclic Compounds; Injections, Subcutaneous; Macrolides; Male; Pasteurellosis, Pneumonic; Recurrence; Severity of Illness Index; Thiamphenicol; Treatment Outcome; Tylosin; United States; Weight Gain

Four studies conducted at feedlots in Greeley and Wellington, Colorado; Nebraska; and Texas compared the efficacy of tulathromycin to florfenicol or tilmicosin for the treatment of cattle with undifferentiated bovine respiratory disease (BRD) and subsequent feedlot performance and carcass characteristics. In each study, 100 calves with BRD were treated with tulathromycin given SC at 2.5 mg/kg body weight. At the Greeley, CO, and Nebraska study locations, 100 calves were treated with florfenicol given SC at 40 mg/kg body weight, and at the Wellington, CO, and Texas study locations, tilmicosin was given SC at 10 mg/kg body weight. Cure rate, a derived variable that included assessments of mortality, rectal temperature, and attitude and respiratory scores from day 3 to day 28 and day 3 through harvest, was the primary assessment of BRD efficacy. Cure rates of calves treated with tulathromycin were significantly (P < or = .009) higher than those calves treated with florfenicol. At Wellington, CO, the cure rate of calves treated with tulathromycin was significantly higher (P < or = .018) compared with tilmicosin-treated calves. The differences in cure rates between tulathromycin and tilmicosin treatment groups in the Texas study were not significantly different (P > .05). Tulathromycin was more efficacious in the treatment of undifferentiated BRD compared with florfenicol and, in one study, compared with tilmicosin.

Topics: Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Cattle; Disaccharides; Heterocyclic Compounds; Injections, Subcutaneous; Macrolides; Male; Pasteurellosis, Pneumonic; Recurrence; Severity of Illness Index; Thiamphenicol; Treatment Outcome; Tylosin; United States; Weight Gain

The purpose of this study was to compare the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of tilmicosin (MIC) versus tulathromycin (DRAX) as a metaphylactic antimicrobial in feedlot calves at moderate risk for bovine respiratory disease (BRD). Calves that received DRAX had significantly (P < or = .05) lower initial BRD treatment rates compared with calves that received MIC. However, there were no significant differences in the BRD relapse rate, railer rate, total mortality rate, BRD mortality rate, average daily gain, and dry matter conversion between the two groups. The economic advantage of the MIC group was Can$8.29/animal. Based on these results, while DRAX was more efficacious in reducing initial treatments for BRD in feedlot calves at moderate risk for disease, MIC was more cost-effective. The lower initial BRD treatment costs in the DRAX group did not offset the higher metaphylactic cost of DRAX.

Topics: Animal Feed; Animals; Animals, Newborn; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Bovine Respiratory Disease Complex; Cattle; Cost-Benefit Analysis; Disaccharides; Female; Heterocyclic Compounds; Random Allocation; Treatment Outcome; Tylosin; Weight Gain

The purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of tulathromycin (DRAX) versus tilmicosin (MIC) or oxytetracycline (TET) as a metaphylactic antimicrobial in feedlot calves. Calves that received DRAX had significantly (P<.05) lower initial undifferentiated fever (UF) treatment and relapse rates; lower overall chronicity, overall mortality, and cause-specific mortality rates; higher average daily gains; and improved quality grades. However, calves that received DRAX also had poorer (P<.05) yield grades compared with calves that received MIC or TET and worse feed conversion compared with calves that received MIC. Net advantages in the DRAX group were 3.79CanDollars/animal and 16.96CanDollars/animal compared with the MIC and TET groups, respectively. Based on these results, DRAX is a more efficacious and cost-effective metaphylactic antimicrobial than MIC or TET in feedlot calves at ultra-high risk of developing UF. In addition, this study presents a comparison between two methods ("deads out" and "deads in") of calculating feedlot performance variables.

Topics: Animal Feed; Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Canada; Cattle; Cattle Diseases; Cost-Benefit Analysis; Disaccharides; Eating; Female; Fever; Heterocyclic Compounds; Macrolides; Meat; Oxytetracycline; Random Allocation; Recurrence; Treatment Outcome; Tylosin; Weight Gain